Lubricants protect and prolong the life of equipment in four important ways:
- Lubrication: reduce friction and wear by providing a thin film between moving parts
- Cooling: assist in dissipating heat away from critical parts
- Cleaning: help smooth operation by removing and suspending deposits, e.g. carbon
- Protection: prevent metal damage due to oxidation and corrosion
Ineffective lubrication means equipment will need more downtime for servicing, may perform poorly and will require replacement parts sooner than well-lubricated machinery. Effective lubrication saves significant time and money for all end users.
Lubricants can be broadly classified into two types:
Engine lubricants:
- Gasoline engine oils
- Diesel engine oils
- Natural gas engine oils
- Aviation engine oils
- Two-stroke cycle engine oils
- Alternative fuel engine oils
Non-engine lubricants:
- Transmission fluids
- Power steering fluids
- Shock absorber fluids
- Gear oils
- Hydraulic fluids
- Metal working fluids
- Miscellaneous industrial oils
- Greases
The most effective lubricants contain additives:
Base oils alone (mineral and synthetic) are not effective enough for modern applications. Modern equipment operates under extremes of load and temperature, and demands effective, stable lubricants with long life times.
To improve effectiveness, base oils are mixed with a ‘performance package’ of additives. This results in formulated lubricants with new or enhanced desirable properties.
The quality and quantity of additives in each package depends on base fluid quality and intended use. Poorer quality base fluids need better additives and possibly in larger amounts, than good quality base fluids.
Applications that place more demand on the lubricant (engine oils and automotive gear oils) require superior additives. Less-demanding applications such as industrial lubricants and metalworking fluids need different performance packages, usually at lower treat rates.
Additives in performance packages can influence each other as well as the lubricant – both antagonistically and synergistically. This has to be taken into account when balancing the total lubricant formulation.